IS THAT A GIANT BIRD?!
Jake saw the giant bird flying closer and closer. Soon he realized it wasn't a bird, but rather...
A jet.
"A jet shaped like a bird? What kind of weirdo would have..."
That's when he remembered a conversation he had a long time ago.
"Why is everything he has bird-themed?"
Jake had said just two months ago in his apartment, talking to Zack, his nerdy roommate and "Super" expert.
"Because that's his gimmick: birds."
"Really? Birds? That's it?"
"Well, mostly hawks, since he's the Hawk Knight."
"Hawk Knight? He even has a stupid name to boot. Why do you idolize these people so much?"
"Why do you hate them so much?"
"I don't hate them. I..."
"Is it because they've actually achieved something in life while you're still working your damn dead-end job?"
"What? No! Is that what you think of me?"
"Wait, you heard that? Aw, geez! Why do I keep doing this?! S-sorry, Jake."
Zack had a tendency to say what he thought. But what he was thinking wasn't wrong.
Jake was jealous of them having a purpose, but that wasn't it. He hated how superficial they were. Every time he saw them saving people on TV, he saw their smiles. He knew they were fake.
They had a purpose, and that was to be famous, not to help people.
That's why he hated them.
But that was then.
Now he had powers. Now he could join them and achieve his new dream.
But that's when he remembered.
He had the powers of their worst enemy, the shadows—power that had almost destroyed the world. He was now a walking target.
Jake tried to hide his powers by deactivating the darkness, but it didn't work since he'd released too much. His only hope was if he could talk his way out of a fight.
He knew only Supers would use jets like these and wasn't surprised when one jumped out of the jet, which was now hovering above him.
The Super landed incredibly. Well, at least he tried to land incredibly. As he attempted a backflip mid-air, the currents interfered and messed up his
posture, causing him to fall on his face making a loud SPLAT!
He went splat, yet there was no blood or bones or anything indicating injury, just annoyance and a green skin suit that was too cringe-inducing to look at for more than 10 seconds.
"Aw, geez! I can't believe I couldn't stick my first Super landing! Okay, at least I still have my banter."
"Aw, geez... wait... that voice?..." Jake thought as he heard those two words. There was only one person who said that.
"Hey, man. Are you okay?" Jake said, actually concerned despite trying to hold back his laughter.
"Keep your villainous quotes to yourself, you dark-colored dirtbag! Or face the wrath of Expanding Man!"
"Expanding Man? Wow, what an awesome name to strike fear into the hearts of millions of planet-ruling evildoers, man." Jake said with a smirk.
"Aw, geez, man! It's my first time trying to come up with something cool on such short notice! Cut me some slack."
He said it again. Could he really be...?
"I'M SO ASHAMED!"
That was the voice of another Super. This one was muscular and huge. He wore a white business suit and green trousers with boots. He had orange hair and a large mustache and was wearing green sunglasses.
His name was...
"Captain Rocket, sir! I-I had the situation under control! You didn't need to come," Expanding Man said to who Jake assumed was his boss.
"Yeah, I could see by your incredible landing and witty banter."
"Aw, geez, was it that bad? I really thought I had him under my palm of justice."
Okay, that settles it. Only one person talks like that.
"Zack?"
"Aw, geez! How did you... I mean, uh... I don't know this Zack citizen, evildoer! I think you have me confused with someone else!"
"Enough with the act, boy! It's clear Jake has figured you out. Not really a hard thing to do."
"Aw, geez."
"Wait, do you know my name?"
"Oh, I know a lot about you, Jake. Considering the fact that you work at my store."
"Your store... wait... You're Mr. Buford? How? You're twice his size. He's small, old, and chubby while you're the opposite."
"Well, that's thanks to this little device right here."
He then removed a tiny circular disk from his back pocket.
"It's a cloaking device. I had a friend of mine make it for me as a favor."
"Well, how did you know it was me?"
"Because I've been following you for two years, Jake, just for this moment."
"W-what?! Why?! H-how?"
"Yes, let's go back 30 years, shall we? Listen, during the great war between the humans and mumans around the world, an alien race called the Shadow Clan invaded the earth, viewing this period as a time of weakness. And..."
"Yeah, I know the rest: some humans and mumans worked together to defeat the shadows, creating the world's first Supers and ending the war since they were proof that humans and mumans can coexist."
"But what most people don't know is there was a cult that worshipped those aliens. A cult called the Lost Light who worshipped the Shadow Clan and viewed them as gods who deserved to rule the earth."
"What? But how come they never appeared on the news?"
"Yup. They're a secretive organization, mostly using hired mercenaries for their dirty work and only relying on members for situations like this. That's the cult your old buddy Max worked for."
"Oh... but how did he get these shadow powers?"
"The same way you did: by drinking the black water, which is actually the remains of a dead shadow. The shadow is supposed to take over the host's body after the host consumes the black water, but one with strong will can resist it. Like Max."
"And me," Jake lied. He knew he was given control. He knew how lucky he was.
"Yeah, that's the big question. No offense, Jake, but I've known you for two years and you don't seem like the most strong-willed guy around. And I know it's the Baron's water you drank, so it seems unlikely you could resist him. They need a weak-willed person, and once they assigned Max to search for one, we went through his records and you happened to be his prime candidate. That's why Zack and I kept an eye on you. But it seems we were too late."
"Nah, it's fine. I agree. I didn't even resist him on my own. I was given control by the Baron."
"And what makes you so sure he won't take control again?"
"Well, he said..."
"Shadows lie, Jake. They have no emotions. They only do what's best for themselves. He knows we might spare him if you convince us. That's when he'll take over and bring another world-ending war on our hands."
"Oh, I see."
"And that's why you have to die. Zack, now!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Wait... what?!"
At that moment, Zack came rushing towards Jake, trying to punch him, but he used his speed to dodge him.
"Wait, I don't have to die, r-right? Come on Zack! Lend me a hand here."
"Actually, Jake, I'm sorry to say, you do. We can't let the Baron return. I-it's for the greater good," Zack said with a sad expression on his masked face.
He then extended his hand, and it began to expand and enlarge, hence the name "Expanding Man."
Which was still a stupid name, by the way.
He then tried to crush Jake with his gigantic fist, but Jake got out of the way right on time. He then used his darkness to jump high enough to escape them.
"Zack, chase him down!"
Once Captain Rocket said this, Zack expanded his legs, which reached Jake's location in seconds. Since he was mid-air, he had nowhere to run, and he used his giant hand to grab Jake.
"Come on, Zack! I can't die now! I know you don't want to do this."
"Sorry, Jake. I really don't want to do this. Despite the circumstances that brought me to our apartment, I still value you as my friend. In fact, despite my orders not to, I still thought you were my best friend, and this hurts. But an order is still an order," Zack responded and expanded his other hand and raised it above Jake.
He was going to crush him.
Jake tried to resist, to fight back, but he realized quickly he didn't know how. When he took a good look at his torso, he also realized his powers couldn't be controlled. That's when he remembered what the Baron said.
These abilities weren't his. If he was going to free himself, he had only one option left.
"Please, Zack! Give me a chance to talk!"
Zack then looked at Captain Rocket and back at Jake. Once Rocket nodded his head, he loosened his grip, giving him the signal that he was ready to listen.
And Jake had his chance.
"Listen, Zack, all my life I've been nothing but a useless prick, but once I got these powers, I saw they weren't a curse—they were a blessing. Now I have a purpose! A goal! I want to help people any way I can, so please give me a chance. I promise on my life I will never allow the Baron to control me! I will never allow him to hurt anyone ever again!"
There was a long drawn out silence. Zack looked at Jake and started sweating. He didnt want to kill Jake. He didnt want to kill anyone, but Captain Rocket gave him orders and he had to follow them.
No matter how much he hated them.
Until...
"Hey, Zack, my boy! What are you doing?! Kill him!"
But that's not what Zack did.
Zack let Jake go and returned to his normal size. He looked miserable.
"I c-can't do it, sir! Jake is my best friend! He's put up with me for two whole years and never complained! Not even my own foster parents could. I-I can't kill him. I can't kill anyone. I just can't."
"Oh, damn, boy, what am I going to do with you? This no-kill rule of yours will bite you in the ass one day y'know?"
"You can give me a chance, sir. Let me see if I'm up to the task, and if not, you're free to kill me."
There was another long silence.
Captain Rocket was thinking while Zack and Jake were nervous. The funny thing was, Zack was sweating more than Jake even though it was Jake who was going to die.
"Oh, all right, you can live."
Zack and Jake immediately celebrated like a bunch of young schoolgirls, jumping up and down and squealing while hugging. It was weird to watch, but that's the kind of bond they had. That's the moment Jake realized Zack was his only real friend.
Maybe he shouldn't have been so abrasive to him in the past.
"Only if you prove you're in control and won't be a danger to anyone."
"Of course, sir! Let me prove it."
Jake then tried to deactivate his powers, but it was still too difficult. Although he had forgotten how to use them, thanks to the powers fading, his body involuntarily released even more darkness than before, so it proved hard to suppress all of it.
And if he couldn't, it would be a very bad sign. Plus, he couldn't live his life like this.
It was embarrassing.
He was about to give up until Zack gave him a pat on the shoulder and told him...
"C'mon, Jake, don't be overdramatic! We know you're just faking."
Zack wasn't lying. He almost never lied. He really believed in Jake. No one ever believed in Jake. Not even his own parents.
That's when Jake did it. He suppressed all the darkness and turned back to his human form. Although he didn't even know how.
"See, I knew you were faking! See how easily you did it too. Like a piece of cake."
"Y-yeah."
Jake tried to feel the power, but it was gone. He quickly realized he didn't suppress the power; it left on its own. He didn't have his shadow powers anymore.
"Okay, you two head home. Meet me at the convenience store tomorrow and we'll see what we can do about all this. See ya."
Captain Rocket then jumped all the way into the jet and with the push of a few buttons, he flew away.
"Hey, uh... Zack?"
"Yeah, Jake?"
"Aren't you supposed to be in there?"
"Aw, geez, come on! Captain Rocket, wait!" He said and began to run after the jet. Jake soon followed him because, honestly, he needed something fun to distract him from all the nonsense of today...
And he had a feeling it was only getting worse from here.
Meanwhile...
In a dark room of a large black church in an unknown location, a meeting was taking place.
"Listen, I know I lost the Baron, but give me a chance, I can..."
It was Max, and he was begging for his life.
"The Lost Light gives only one chance. And you have exhausted it. Now surrender your abilities. You are unworthy of them."
Max refused the Bishop, and that enraged him even further.
"Seize him and cleanse the shadow of his impurity!"
Once the Bishop said this, multiple people in dark robes appeared and tried to capture him, but he escaped by turning himself into his liquid form. Evading capture and flowing away at rapid speed.
He later left the hideout through the church's vents.
"Must we chase him down, my lord?" A woman dressed like a Roman sister said in a cold, raspy voice.
"No, my lady. Let him go. It is only a matter of time until He arrives to claim what is his. We have a more pressing matter at hand," the Bishop replied.
"Yes! We must return the Baron to his people!" A large man in executioner's attire said.
"But how do we do that? We were not informed of the individual that fool handpicked." A slim man in a priestly garment also said.
"We shall discuss that later. Right now we have a much bigger matter than that," said the Bishop.
"Much bigger than the Baron? What could it be?" Asked the Nun.
"The Super Society has found His spy..."
"Then that means..."
"Yes... His plans have begun. We may have to leave the city..."
The four figures looked at each other for a short moment and dispersed.
They were the only ones who knew what was coming...
The End of humanity itself...
To be continued...